Tires are responsible for the movement of any vehicle ranging from cars and buses to bikes and bicycles. Tires also determine the safety standards of any car by ensuring a smooth journey without any turbulence.
Over the last few years, the cost of tires has increased significantly, primarily because of the increase in its overall manufacturing cost. Other factors such as design, adaptability, and performance of the tire also impact its price, making modern-day tires much more expensive. So why are tires so expensive?
Read further as we discuss these reasons behind the high price rate of tires in detail and provide you some tips on how you can select the correct type of tire for yourself.
Common Reasons Behind Tires Being Expensive
The following are some of the reasons, or we can say, factors that influence the market price of tires in a great way.
1. Manufacturing Cost and Tax
The primary and most important factor determining the cost of any final product in the market is its manufacturing cost and the tax imposed on the material used to make the tire in the first place.
The total manufacturing cost of a tire isn’t limited to the cost of the material used to make it. It also includes the salary given to people making the tire and the transportation cost of delivering the tire in the showroom.
So, if there is an increase in the manufacturing costs, the market price of the tire will automatically go up so that the company manufacturing the tire can earn profit.
In addition, an increase in the taxes or tariffs imposed by the Southeast Asian countries that supply the raw material: oil, rubber, and steel required to manufacture the tire are also responsible for the tires being so expensive.
2. Tire Size
The diameter and size of modern-day tires used in multiple Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and other big vehicles such as cranes and trucks are much bigger than the tires used in the earlier times.
The increasing demand for large and heavy tires is related to how it would help people in lowering their car.
by people has resulted in the multiplication of tire sizes, having a larger diameter. The constant increase in size due to the demand of people results in more raw material being used to make a tire, hence, a spike in cost.
3. Rubber Type and Durability
The type of rubber used in the making of any tire determines its durability. The use of soft rubber in a tire will increase its performance but will impact its durability. On the other hand, using hard rubber will protect its tread and increase durability.
Finding the perfect rubber type which is both durable and provides better performance asks for heavy investments. Therefore, the tires that you’re using these days are expensive but offer excellent performance.
Moreover, expensive tires have rims that aren’t prone to rust and corrosion. Also, if you see rust on any element of your vehicle, you can remove it with the help of rust convertor.
4. Tread Pattern and Design
There are multiple tread designs and patterns available depending on where you wish to drive your vehicle.
For example, thick treads tend to have wider grooves, allowing you to drive your vehicle on wet and slippery roads with ease. On the other hand, thin tracks have less grip and are suitable for driving on dry surfaces.
Tires with thick treads are costlier than the ones with thin tracks as they include grooves and make use of more material. Moreover, they provide a better grip, ensuring the vehicle’s safety, making it much more popular and in demand.
The points mentioned above contribute to the increase in the overall cost of a tire manufactured by any company.
Are All Tires Expensive?
The cost of the tires produced by every company has increased a lot in recent times. However, out of all the companies, the following companies provide the most expensive tires.
- Bridgestone
- Bugatti Veyron
- Goodyear
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Space Shuttle
After going through this list, you might be thinking that these are the same companies that also seem to provide the best quality tires in the world. So, is it necessary for every good quality tire to be expensive? Well, not really.
The reason behind the popularity of these companies is that they use only the finest material to manufacture their tires, having the perfect design and durability. These factors further result in their tires being expensive but providing a great driving experience.
However, every good tire doesn’t need to be so expensive that you face difficulties buying it.
Buying Guide For Selecting The Right Tire
With the cost of the tires soaring up, it can be a difficult task to select the right tire for you that isn’t too expensive and has good quality.
To make things easier for you, we have listed below some points that you should keep in the back of your mind so that you can choose and buy the perfect tire for yourself.
Material Used
As we’ve mentioned throughout the article, the type and quality of the raw material used in the manufacturing of any tire determine how it will work. Before you finalize any tire for your vehicle, you can check the type of material used to make it.
Not every expensive tire brand or company needs to use high-quality material and vice-versa. Therefore, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask and confirm the material and technology used in making the tire.
Requirement and Driving Style
You need to select a tire that would get along with your driving style. For example, if you primarily drive in the city area or highways having a smooth road, you can select a lighter and relatively small tire in size.
On the other hand, if you like to go on an off-road drive and explore new places in your SUV often, you might be interested in buying a large, heavy tire with a broad tread pattern. These features will make sure that you’re able to drive your car on rough terrain without any problem.
Safety Grip
The most important aspect of purchasing any tire is checking its grip by going through its tread pattern. If your tire has both treads and grooves, it will provide fantastic grip but would be slightly expensive compared to the one lacking grooves and having a thin tread.
Moreover, you should aim to go for a tire that isn’t too heavy or too light and provides a grip through every season. A good tire should work on a road with gravel and on a slippery surface with equal ease to avoid any accident.
Apart from the safety grip, expensive tires are not easily damaged by radiator leaks, given that you stop the radiator leakage on time.
Durability
If you’re investing so much of your money on the tires for your vehicle, it’s not wrong for you to expect it to work correctly for a long time. Therefore, you should opt for a tire that requires minimum maintenance and doesn’t get worn or torn easily.
However, buying a durable tire doesn’t mean that you should only purchase a heavy tire with a thick tread pattern. The durability and lifetime of your time are impacted by how you drive your car.
For example, driving your car on a well-maintained road won’t damage your tire as quickly as it would off-roading it on rocky or rough terrain. Moreover, you can increase the overall durability of your car by using the right motor oil for your car.
Load Capacity
Every tire has its own load capacity, that is, the ability to carry the weight of any vehicle effectively without bursting or collapsing. If your tire has low load capacity, it won’t handle the weight of the car and the people present inside the vehicle.
The majority of the tires with a considerable load capacity are large and heavy and mainly used in trucks and jeeps. Therefore, you can choose small and slightly light-weight tires if you usually drive a standard passenger car.
Noise and Comfort
No one likes to drive a vehicle and use a tire that makes an annoying, screeching noise every time you step on the brake pedal. Also, your tire making an irritating noise while applying brakes is a major red flag, and you should not ignore it.
Heavy tires are durable, but they make a lot of noise and create difficulties when used along with a small or light-weight car. So, you don’t need to use a heavy tire every time, and also, not all heavy and expensive tires are the best for you and your vehicle.
Final Words
Out of all the factors responsible for the tires being expensive, taxes and the cost of importing the raw material, especially oil and rubber, from other countries is the most crucial one. A company can’t manufacture a high-quality tire by using raw materials of poor quality.
However, tires being expensive doesn’t mean that every cheap tire you come across would be unsafe. The quality and not the price determines the efficiency of a tire. Also, you can extend the lifetime of your tire rims and car by wrapping it.
So, go ahead and explore the different tires available in the market. We are sure you’ll find the best tire for your vehicle quickly if you consider the various points mentioned in this article explaining why tires are so expensive?
